Bifocal-lens fusing.



yH. WI'HILL. BIFOCAI. LENS'FUSIN'G. APPLICATION FILED APR. 14,-19I5.

1 1 99, 379 Patented Sept. 26, 1.916.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A ,TTUBNEYS UNITED i nanny vw. HILL, oF souTHBRInGE,MASSACHUSETTS,AssIeNon To AMEnrcA orpican coMPANY, oF sournisnrnenMnssAcHUsE'rrs, A 'vonumuinY1Assoorlirroir`y To all ywlw'm t may' concer/n.

DIT-MASSACHUSETTS.

Be it known that I, HARRY W. HILL, a

citizen ofthe United States, residingl at.'

Southbridge; in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer-A tain new and -useful Improvements in 'Bifo cal- Lens Fusing, of which. the following is a s eciication.

his inventionI relates to improvements in devices'for holding thesegments or wafers of bifocal lenses in osition upon the lens blanks during their fllsing operation. y

The principal object of the 'inventionis to providea device'of `this character which -will so holdthe segments onv the lens blanks during theirfusing operation as to prevent .the formation of air bubbles and.y insure a perfect fusion between thesegment and the lensblanks, whereby'l the entire area of the fused lenses may be utilized-in the formation of the finished lenses.

Other objects are to provide means for positively preventingany laterall movement ofthe segments upon the vlens blanks; to

provide adjustable means for limiting the movement of the se ent holding meansv so thatpwhen the lens b anks are softened under the action of heat the holdingmeans will not come intoengagement with the fused lens; to provide a baseor support for the lens blank, and to provide means forlocking thevsupport in a fixed position rela-tive tothe' segment holding means', andw to so construct the entire device that the 'lens blanks are readily and easily placedtherein and removed.

With 'thesel and. otherobjects in 4view thel .invention consists 1n the novel features of constructlon, combination and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter moreV fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingl Fig. VI is a central longitudinal sectional view. Fig. VII is a pla-n viewof the device illustrating` a modified formt of segment holding means. Fig. VIII '1s a cent1-al longitudinal sectional lview 'through the 4 structure villustrated in Fig. VII,`

V131150clin-:31ans FUSING. f

Specification of Letters Patent. .Y

e Y Patentea`se15aee; ieieL/i Appncationnleaapi149/1915."seriama 21,441. y

Referringto the drawinvsgby:numerals,. y

and more particularly to Figs. I to VI, in-

clusive, l1 designates the baseofthe devicegwhich 1s formed from any ldesirable or pre-v f j ferred material, andwhich/fi'spreferably rec;

tangular Vin shape. This base isk provided "at one end with an' upstanding flange 2 and. at

its opposite end with upstandingbo'ss or lug 3, the said flange and boss being adapted y F to receive. therebetween the substantially rectangularv shaped llenssupporting member-- 4 which has the lower v,face thereoffl-at 4and resting upon the upper face ofthe base l, p 1 and which has thev upper face thereof shapedf` to the contour-of the lens which isadapted to be supported thereon. A set screw 5 is thread-1` ed intoan opening in the boss Sand has .th

inner end thereof engaging thededge" of 'the'nfif support 4 in 'order-tol'locktheisame -to the base., By this structure it will be-seen thati'.

by loosening the set screw''the support' 4 may newl ous contours may be used' in thefmachine. 'l

be readily removed from the-'base and bne substituted, wherebylen'sesof vari-I Uprights or pivot posts v7"'a1'e `carriedbyf.` l the -ange 2' near the longitudinal edges of the base 1,.and'have .inwardly extending pins 8 formed near the' upper. ends 4thereof on which are pivotally mounted the vends of the bars 9. The bars y9 extend in Vspaced if parallel. relation4 from fthe post. 7- andare disposed in alinement withthe longitudinal .edges ofthe base 1. Near their' 'opposite ends these bars are bent inwardly and again extended in parallel relation toreceivether'ej between the lweighted. member ,lOzjgf This member l10-v may vbe formed as an integrafl partof the bars 9, or maybejsecured therei between in Y any desired-for preferredmanner.

sired to hold the segmentl or g wafer-H ofthe lens -in spaced relationywith the lens-blank during the fusing operations() that when the wafer becomes'soft under the actionzof heat it will gradually come in contactwith the lens blank and thereby force out all gases from between the under vface thereof and the weight .10 is .providedgwith anarcuately.A L'1.05 f'f' shaped recess 11 agamst whi'h one'edge of i the segment 1 2 is adapted toabut prevent leo . blank is'rst placed upon the support 4 v Vstruck terminals are carried upon the inner edges of the bars 9 and provide an abutment for the segment 12 to actin conjunction with the recess 11 of the member A10 to prevent movement of the segment upon the lens` blanks when the device is in its operative position. Y

In the use of the device set forth the lens in a position so that the countersink which is formed therein will be disposedadjacent the member 1Q when this member is in its 'l lowered position, as illustrated in Fig. I of the drawings, it being understood that the member 10 and.bars 9 are swung out of the path ofthe support 4 during the placing of the blank 15V thereon. After the blank 15 with the wafer 12 resting in the countersink thereof is placed upon the support 4. the

member 10 is swung downward so that the lip 13 will engage upon the upper face of the segment near the edge thereof, whereupon the oppositev portion of the segment will be held in spaced relation with the blank ,'15, the pins 14 and recess 11 preventin any lateral movement of the segment while eing held in Athis-position, it 'being 'understood that 'the opposite portion of the segment is held in spaced relation with the blank 15 by reason of the weight of the member 10,

andby reason of the fact that the curve upon the under, face vof the segment 12 is, as usual, of a shorter varc than the curve of the v v countersink of the lens blank.

the .blanks are subjected to the action of A .heat lin the ordinary `manner lso that the segment 12 will become fused to the blank 15.

' While being held in the position set forth,

To'limit downward movement of the member-10 upon softeningy of the segment 12, I provide a thumb screw 16 which is threaded 'i v into the boss3 'and is vertically adjustable l' by turning the same in either direction. The

'hanging lip 18 .Whih ieee..

same, purpose as thev 11H13', jai-the ring being 1 .screw v16 is positioned atasuitable point upon' the base 1 so that a portion of the member 10` will rest thereon when the said member is in its lowered position. By means Yof this screw it will be readily seen that the downward movement of the member 10 is limited and may be varied at will. In Figs. VII and VIII of the drawings I 'have illustrated slightlymodifled forms of means for holding the segment and preventing movement thereof with respect to the vblank '15; In this form of my invention I havesliown a ring 17 as-,being mounted between the bars 9 and asf-having the overto serve the adapted to encircle the segment, as will-"be understood.

l I claim:

1. In a'device of the character described, i

the combination with a support for the ment `to insure correct positioning thereof.

2. In a device of the character described the' combination yof a support for the majorz blank, of a segment holding member comprising a yoke having acentral portion adapted to engage the upper face of a segment 1 and lateral portions adapted to engage the edges of the segment to insure co1'` rect positioning `thereof.- 3. In a device 'of the character described, the combination with a' base of' a lens positioning and clamping member', pivotall;r secured to the base and comprising a weighted portion adapted -to "bear down uponk the upper surface-of a segmentnear one'edge thereof to retain the segment in tilted position, an additional portion adapted. to engage the edges of the segment at a pointremoved from the surface engaging portion to serve as guides for the segment and in sure correct positioning thereof.

the combination with a base of a lens positioning and clamping member, pivotally secured to the base and comprislng a weighted ltion, an additional portion adapted to en gage the edges of the segment at a point removed from the surface'engaging portion to serve as guides' for the segment and iusure correct positioning thereof, and an adjustable stop to limit the movement of the pivoted device in the'direction of the segment.

5.' In a device of the character described, the combination with a base having a stop adapted to engage and position a major blank, of a segment engaging device pivoted to the base and having positioning members adapted to engage a segment at a plurality of points'to retain the segment in desired position on the major blank and having a bearing portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the segment at one edge to retain the segment initially in tilted position, substantally as and for the purpose described.

6. In a device of the character described,- the combination with a base having a stop lfor positioning a major blank, 'of a yoke pivoted to the base and' adapted to span a segment, said yoke bein providedl with means for engaging the sides 4of a segment 4. In a device of the character described,A

gj-,ata plurality offpoints to insure exact posif 'ationing'of the segmenten ,the-blank, means v 'g1- jon `the yoke for engaging the upper surface- `of the segment to hold the segment in tilted pcsition, ,and means for limiting the pivotal l' f movement of the .yoke ,in the direction of fthe segment.

7; A device for holding the parts of bifocal lensesduring fusing thereof, including .a base, 'a lens support, a weighted member pivoted Atofthe base, 'means to lock the support to the base, and means to limit movement of the Weighted member. I

8. A device of the character described, comprising a base,-a lens support, means to prevent movement of the support -rela- .tive to the base, a Weighted member pivoted to the base for engagement with' the segment of the biiocal lens,- and means on member'for engagement with the edge and 2 0 one face of the segment. Y l )9.A deviceA of the character. set forth, comprising a base, a lensl support Shaped to the contour of the l'ens,arset serew for locking the support to 4the base, uprights 25 carried by the base, a member pivoted to Y said uprights and adapted tobe swung into CARROLL BAJLEY, c

EnrrH M. HALvoRsEN.

so i 

